Working on this sermon has made me so thankful.
A few weeks ago I taught a class that went along with what I’ve been studying for this series in Exodus. For the class, I did an extensive study on the 7 feasts that God instituted for the Nation of Israel. I read a detailed account of what is usually done by Jewish people to prepare for the Passover.
Preparation takes at least a week of thoroughly cleaning the house to get rid of all traces of leaven. The entire house is cleaned top to bottom to sweep out any hint of yeast or other cooked bread products. Shelves are cleaned and relined with shelf paper. Ovens, refrigerators, tables and utensils are cleaned or perhaps removed altogether to make ready for Passover. Baked goods are removed and given to Gentile neighbors who will give the bread products back after the feast days are over. Cleaning even involves washing the cracks between leaves of the tables, and thorough cleaning of ovens to remove even microscopic traces of leavening.
All of this so that the observation of Passover will be done in a way that is acceptable to God. When I read the 30 pages of explanation of how to prepare for Passover I found myself thinking, “I am so thankful for the freedom we have in Christ! I’m so glad to live under the NEW Covenant where we don’t have to worry about obeying thousands of minute instructions in order to please God.” Through Jesus Christ, we can come before our God and worship Him in any place or at any time, as long as we worship God in spirit and in truth.
The things we’ve studied in Exodus are important and amazing. The Laws of God are perfect, and the Tabernacle with its furnishing and its ceremonies hold great significance and beauty. But these are all just SHADOWS. Shadows of the REALITY we find in Jesus Christ … our Sacrificial Lamb, our great High Priest, our Savior and Lord.